Threatened with Blackmail, Politician's Wife Shares Testimony of Pain and Healing From Past Abortion

Ben Johnson : Jun 24, 2016
LifeSiteNews

"Little did I know that I would be stricken with an unbearable guilt for the months and even years to follow. It's haunted me. It's made me weep. It's made it difficult to look in the mirror at times." — Stephanie Chatfield

(Lansing, MI) — [LifeSiteNews] The wife of a Michigan state representative has revealed that she had an abortion after her husband received word that an unnamed source planned to go public with the information. (Photo via LifeSiteNews)

Stephanie Chatfield is married to State Rep. Lee Chatfield, a pro-life Republican who has co-sponsored a bill to ban dismemberment abortion, supported defunding Planned Parenthood, and posted a picture of himself outside one of their offices holding a sign that said, "Defend Life! Defund Planned Parenthood."

The state Republican Party is investigating the matter, and rival campaigns deny any involvement. But rather than allow someone to blackmail her husband, she went public with a story of alcohol, regret, redemption, and hope for young women everywhere.

In a Facebook post, she shared that "as a teenager in high school" she had attended a party and had too much to drink.

"I have no memory of the majority of that night, but judging by my appearance and physical condition the next morning, I knew I had been taken advantage of," she wrote. "Three weeks later, I found out I was pregnant."

She told no one of her pregnancy and — "feeling alone, helpless or ashamed" - she had an abortion one week later, something she calls "the worse decision of my life."

"Little did I know that I would be stricken with an unbearable guilt for the months and even years to follow," she wrote.

"It's haunted me. It's made me weep. It's made it difficult to look in the mirror at times," she wrote.

Only later did she find the strength to forgive herself and move forward with her life.

She wrote that she spoke with several people — including her husband, Lee, who was then her ex-boyfriend — who gave her the good news of "the full forgiveness and grace that God freely offers through His Son Jesus Christ."

"Christ took my place on the cross and bore the weight of my sin, so that I could have eternal life," she wrote. "My sins are forgiven."

Rep. Chatfield prefaced her comment merely by saying, "I'm extremely proud of my wife for her courage!"

Mrs. Chatfield used the social media post to encourage other young women who may be facing unexpected pregnancies to seek out help and have the courage to find help from others in their lives — including the pro-life movement.

"There are crisis pregnancy centers in our area that exist for the sole purpose of helping girls like you," she wrote. "You will not be judged, but rather you will be loved and forgiven... Reach out and look for support!"

She encourages "pro-life advocates" to be "proactive and looking for young girls and women who are hurting, suffering and confused so we can offer them assistance."

She closed by reminding every one of her readers of what she considers the most important facet of the story. "God is greater than our sin," she wrote.

She concluded that, while she knows she "made the wrong choice" for herself and her child, "I plan to use my story to help girls, love others, and serve as a living testimony of God's grace and forgiveness."

Click here to read her full testimony.